The Event Safety Alliance’s 2025 Event Safety Summit (ESS25) will be at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 11-13, 2025. Stakeholders who should attend ESS25 include production and operational workers, legal and insurance experts, regulatory authorities, promoters, venue operators, ticket and sales entities, media and streaming platforms, and artistic, cultural and creative individuals and organizations. The ESS25 theme is “Solidarity in Safety.” There is much to be gained for the cause of “Life Safety First” by instilling a comprehensive safety culture throughout all phases of the production of live events. 

In this episode of the Event Safety Podcast, Danielle and guest host Bryan Huneycutt have an in-depth discussion about life on the road with Ryan George of thistourlife.com. Topics included everything from a new retirement benefit program to challenges for physical, mental and financial health on tour as well as advocacy within the touring community.

The Event Safety Alliance (ESA) proudly announces the publication of a new American National Standard: ANSI ES 1.42-2025, Parade Safety. This consensus industry standard was the product of ESA’s collaboration with the Event Services and Technology Association (ESTA) to create authoritative guidance regarding various aspects of event safety.

What does it take to build a worldwide tour From Zero? In this episode of The Event Safety Podcast, Danielle poses this question to long-time Linkin Park Tour Director (and ESA President) Jim Digby. They discuss how Linkin Park and their team kept the band's re-launch a secret from their notoriously dedicated fanbase, the production considerations involved in their first tour in eight years, the importance of building the right team, positive safety changes in international touring markets, and more.

The Board of Directors of the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) has hired Rob Bergeron, CAE, as the organization’s second Executive Director. Bergeron brings decades of diverse association management experience and became ESA’s first full-time employee in the chief staff executive role on April 28, 2025.

In celebration of our 100th episode, we're sharing safety success stories from across the ESA community! From the creation of new standards and training programs to improved planning and collaboration, Danielle and guest co-host Tami Richter celebrate your wins and recognize our industry’s ongoing efforts to enhance safety for all. A sincere thank you to our guests and listeners for supporting the Event Safety Podcast. Here's to the next 100!

Following last year's West Coast adventures, ESA jets east to the "Birthplace of Flight" for the next edition of the Event Safety Summit, taking place November 11–13, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mark your calendars and make plans to join us in this world-class hub of arts, culture, and motorsports for three days of learning, networking, and fun.

Since 2014, the Event Safety Summit has brought together professionals from around the globe and across the entertainment, sports, and corporate event industries to discuss all aspects of safety, security, and health at live events. Featuring a diverse lineup of presentations, panels, and workshops the Summit provides attendees with actionable insights, fosters collaboration among like-minded professionals, and inspires a renewed commitment to prioritizing life safety in their daily work.

Presentation, registration, and lodging details will be released soon. Sign up for updates at http://eventsafetyalliance.org.

In this episode of the Event Safety Podcast, Danielle and special guest host Dave Ellis dive into the world of event security with Dan Donovan, founder and Managing Partner of security solutions providers Stratoscope & Ingressotek. Discussion includes what goes into planning for event security, common misconceptions people have about the role, workforce development, technology, engaging with public safety, and loads more.

In this holiday season "mini-episode" of the Event Safety Podcast, we share a few of the many stories told at our first "Safety Slam", held during this year's Event Safety Summit. Listen in for some AI-generated slam poetry, communication snafus, and tales of questionable "blue" drinking water. We hope you enjoy it and look forward to seeing you all again in the new year. Stay safe!

In this holiday season "mini-episode" of the Event Safety Podcast, we share a few of the many stories told at our first "Safety Slam", held during this year's Event Safety Summit. Listen in for some AI-generated slam poetry, communication snafus, and tales of questionable "blue" drinking water. We hope you enjoy it and look forward to seeing you all again in the new year. Stay safe!

The Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative is offering a variety of upcoming virtual trainings to help provide people with the information and skills to identify and assist when their colleagues are struggling with a mental health or substance use issue or are the target of bullying and harassment.

In this holiday season "mini-episode" of the Event Safety Podcast, we share a few of the many stories told at our first "Safety Slam", held during this year's Event Safety Summit. Listen in for some AI-generated slam poetry, communication snafus, and tales of questionable "blue" drinking water. We hope you enjoy it and look forward to seeing you all again in the new year. Stay safe!

In this episode of The Event Safety Podcast, Danielle recaps this year's excellent ESA Canada Conference with two members of the organization's leadership team, Janet Sellery and Kevin Tanner. They reflect on the highlights and key takeaways from this year's program, discuss balancing content and networking, and share what to expect at future editions.

Nothing connects us quite like a great story. That’s why we’re inviting Event Safety Summit attendees to grab the mic at our first-ever "Safety Slam," happening on November 14 during the Harbor Happy Hour, presented by Rock Labor and Bigger Hammer Production Services.

Have a funny, enlightening, or motivating tale to tell? Bring it on! You’ll have 5 minutes to wow us, inspire us, or make us laugh — all while being recorded for a future episode of The Event Safety Podcast! You can pre-register now at https://bit.ly/ESSSafetySlam or sign up during the Summit at the ESA merch booth.

And...action! In this episode of The Event Safety Podcast, we take a slight detour from the live events world to discuss safety in the film industry. Joining Danielle are two highly experienced film pros, Matt Sanders and Fess Shelton. They discuss the similarities and differences between safety in film and live events, the safety planning process, threats and mitigation strategies, roles and responsibilities, and the ongoing work of the "Safety for Sarah" campaign.

Huge news! Thanks to the generous support of our friends at Reel Media, ESA is offering a limited number of "Early Career Professional" tickets to the 2024 Event Safety Summit at a 50% discount.

Our Early Career Professional (ECP) ticket program is open to first-time attendees aged 25 or under who are either:

• Enrolled in full-time, industry-specific education, or

• Currently working in the live event industry on a freelance basis and/or self-funding their attendance.

To take advantage of this opportunity, please complete the application below. Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Those applying for this program will be notified of their approval and next steps within 24 hours of submission.

Fall has arrived, which means the Event Safety Summit is right around the corner! In anticipation of this year's event, this episode of The Event Safety Podcast looks back at a few of the many presentations we've featured at the summit over the last ten years (!), including insights from Nathan Vassberg (NASA), Kevin Kloesel (University of Oklahoma), Eric Stuart (Gentian Events), and Betty Siegel (Kennedy Center). Sate your safety hunger with a taste of what's to come, and be sure to register for this year's event at http://eventsafetysummit.com.

The job of the entertainment rigger has become increasingly complicated as the live event industry has grown exponentially over the last three decades. As the loads have become larger, the margin of error has become smaller. Experience alone cannot prepare today’s riggers for the ever expanding challenges faced in the theatres, arenas, studios, festivals, and ballrooms used to produce live entertainment events. Through Entertainment Rigging Sessions you can obtain that necessary education to partner with YOUR experience, allowing you to pursue increased work volume and safer rigging practices.

In this episode of The Event Safety Podcast, Danielle and special guest co-host Kevin Kloesel welcome DTN Solution Engineer and Meteorologist Brad Nelson for a discussion about, as you guessed, weather, with a focus on extreme heat. They explore how heat has become the leading risk to live events, the lasting impacts of heat illness, Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, OSHA's proposed heat rules, and why consulting a professional meteorologist is more important than ever.